Antimachus’s Enigma: On Erytheia, the Latvian Sun-goddess and a Red Fish

In this paper I focus on a character named ERYTHEIA (‘the red one’), who, according to Antimachus of Colophon, escorts Helios’s golden cup. I compare the characteristics and the role played by this figure with those of the Latvian Sun-goddess Saule, who is associated to the color red in various ways. In particular, in one Latvian Daina, it is a red fish, the rauda, which guides Saule’s vehicle. Therefore, I argue that the rauda fish, whose name is etymologically related to Greek 􀀏􀀊􀀎􀀅􀀄􀀆􀀂, has a similar role as that of Helios’s red guide. Finally, I compare the Latvian tradition about the solar fish with the iconography of the Danish razors from the Late Bronze Age, on which a fish escorts the Sun-boat between the end of the night and the beginning of the day.